<\/p>\n
Congregants and leaders vowed to rebuild a historic Mississippi synagogue that was heavily damaged by fire and an individual was taken into custody for what authorities said Sunday was an act of arson.<\/p>\n
The fire ripped through the Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson shortly after 3 a.m. on Saturday, authorities said. No congregants were injured in the blaze.<\/p>\n
Photos showed the charred remains of an administrative office and synagogue library, where several Torahs were destroyed or damaged.<\/p>\n
Jackson Mayor John Horhn confirmed that a person was taken into custody following an investigation that also included the FBI and the Joint Terrorism Task Force.<\/p>\n
\u201cActs of antisemitism, racism, and religious hatred are attacks on Jackson as a whole and will be treated as acts of terror against residents\u2019 safety and freedom to worship,\u201d Horhn said in a statement.<\/p>\n
He did not provide the name of the suspect or the charges that the person is facing. A spokesperson for the Jackson FBI said they are “working with law enforcement partners on this investigation.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The 160-year-old synagogue, the largest in Mississippi and the only one in Jackson, was the site of a Ku Klux Klan bombing in 1967 – a response to the congregation\u2019s role in civil rights activities, according to the Institute of Southern Jewish Life, which also houses its office in the building.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThat history reminds us that attacks on houses of worship, whatever their cause, strike at the heart of our shared moral life,\u201d said CJ Rhodes, a prominent Black Baptist pastor in Jackson in a Facebook post.<\/p>\n
“This wasn\u2019t random vandalism – it was a deliberate, targeted attack on the Jewish community,\u201d Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of The Anti-Defamation League, said in a statement.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThat it has been attacked again, amid a surge of antisemitic incidents across the US, is a stark reminder: antisemitic violence is escalating, and it demands total condemnation and swift action from everyone,\u201d Greenblatt said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The synagogue will continue its regular worship programs and services for Shabbat, the weekly Jewish Sabbath, likely at one of the local churches that reached out.<\/p>\n
“We are a resilient people,” said Beth Israel Congregation President Zach Shemper in a statement. \u201cWith support from our community, we will rebuild.\u201d<\/p>\n
One Torah that survived the Holocaust was behind glass not damaged in the fire, Schipper said. Five Torahs inside the sanctuary are being assessed for smoke damage. Two Torahs inside the library, where the most severe damage was done, were destroyed, according to a synagogue representative.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The floors, walls and ceiling of the sanctuary were covered in soot, and the synagogue will have to replace upholstery and carpeting.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of times we hear things happening throughout the country in other parts, and we feel like this wouldn\u2019t happen in our part,” said chief fire investigator Charles Felton \u201cA lot of people are in disbelief that this would happen here in Jackson, Mississippi.\u201d<\/p>\n
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press.
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